The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-06-18
TRIED BY A HIGHER COURT.
Sudden Death of Jessie D. Brown in the
County Jail

/ jessie ID. Brown. cOlOreu, was IouHu ueuu
in her bed at the Jail in this city on Tuesday
morning last between five and six O'Clock.
She was arrested and imprisoned in February
last, on the charge of numbering her infant
child on the both of January. The child was
found on the Saturday following, February
5th, after diligent search by officers, in the
side of n bank on the farm of Mr.. Theodore
f. Englar, near this city. An inquest was
held over the child by Justice &. W. Crap.
ster, Acting Coroner, and the evidence showed
that Jessie ID. Brown, colored, OF this city,
gave birth to female child on Sunday morn
! ing, January 30th, III a wagon IN the stable oil
Judge Bale; that she was taken to Judge
| Baile's residence by Mrs. Bale, who gave her
a dress and some breakfast; that the child
was alive, and to Mrs. Bale appeared to be
large and healthy; that Jessie Brown left Mrs.
Bales shortly after getting breakfast, and
carried the child with her; that she went to
her fathers house, in Union street, several
hours later, without the child; that the woman
was seen beyond the city limits, between the
| Cranberry road and his fathers residence by
Richard Hunter; that the dress given Jessie
Brown by Mrs. Bale was foand in a field
about 800 yards from where the child was
discovered; that the child was found in the
side of a bank on Theodore F. Englar' farm,
wrapped in some clothing, with little earth
ON it and two large stones leaning agains. it;
that it was brought to Jail, &c. The physi-
clans all testified that an examination of the
body showed that the child was full-term
healthy one; that while they discovered moth
| ing to indicate the manner of its death, they
believed, from the evidence of other witnesses,
that death was the result of want of nourish-
ment and exposure, and that the pressure oil
the heavy stones may have been a contributing
cause.
After hearing the evidence the jury render
ed the following verdict:
s'The said female child came to its death
by exposure to the incemency of the weather
and starvation, caused by the said Jessie D..
Brown placing it in an excavation in the earth,
and placing stones against the opening and
abandoning it, and that the said Jesse Brown
the said female child in said manner feloni-
ously and of her own malice and forethought
did murder in Carroll county, Nd"
The woman was placed under arrest at her
fathers residence in Union street on the
finding of the infant, and on the following
Wednesday, February 9th, upon the opinion
/ of her physician that she could be moved, she
was taken to jail. When he grand jury met
she was indicted for the murder of her child,
and her case was taken up on Friday after
noon oflast week. During her Imprisonment
she was taken with consumption and by the
time her trial came on she was very feeble.
/ Her case was hopeless, although she had kind
attention and was attended by DIR. l.. Aepp,
the physician to the Jail. She presented a
pitable sight in court, and had to be carried TO
| the court house from the Jail in a carriage and
up the steps and into the courtroom by her
father An easy arm chair was provided for
her, but it was evident to all that the woman
was very weak and could not last many days.
Her trial was continued, and on Monday af-
ternoon before adjournment all the evidence
was in. On Tuesday morning, as above
stated she was found dead in bed, by her
sister, May Brown, who stayed with her at
night An inquest was held by Justice g..
W. Crapster, acting Coroner, with the follow
ing Jury: Chas H. Vanderford, foreman;
Chas II. Henneman, Howard Wampler, r.
L. B. Warehime Henry Clark, l.. c. Trum
bo, John C. Frizell, Alonza V. Miller, +. II.
Orendorff, DIR. George D. Fouke, John j..
Baumgartner and John Bernstein. The jury
viewed the body as it lay in bed, and then
retired TO the parlor States Attorney Hen
ton of witnesses. DR.. j. Howell Billingslea
testified thai he and DIR. Jos. L. Herring, at
the request of the States Attorney, had visit
ed the deceased in the Jail last Sunday and
found her weak and emaciated, and in the
last stages of consumption, with one lung en-
tirely closed. They thought she was liable to
die at any time. He said he reported this to
the States Attorney and also to the attorneys
for the defense, Messrs W. L. Seabrook and /.
L. Pearson. He also testified that he had
examined the body that morning, and con-
cuded that death was from natural causes.
Mrs. John T. Lynch, wife of the Sheriff,
said she went into the room of the deceased
at $50 on Monday night, and that Jessie said
she feltvery we'll; that she gave her some whisky
and milk; that the deceased was in the largest
room in the Jail and had been well cared for,
&c.
May Brown, sister of the deceased, testi-
fed that she stayed all night with her sister;
that her sister was exhausted about six clock
when she went to the Jail, but later said she
felt well; that she went to bed about IL o'clock,
but did not talk to her sister, who seemed to
be resting well; that in the morning between
five and six o'clock she called her sister and
found that she was dead; that she gave her
sister some medicine for her cough before
going to bed, and nothing else.
r. F. B. Warehime, Howard Wanpler and
Harry Clark testified to the deceased having
good quarters and being kindly attended to.
The jury then rendered verdict that death
was a visitation of God, and from no other
cause.
Sheriff Lynch reported the death of the
presented the report of the inquisition to the
court. The court then said that the prisoner
would be tried by higher Court and then
discharged the jury.